Photo from Ramblin' Cameras - Organ Mountains Gallery
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Organ Mountains Volcanic System
Photo from Ramblin'
Cameras - Organ Mountains Gallery
If you took Yellowstone, stood it on its side (by tectonic processes), and let it sit around and erode for 30 million years you'd probably have something that would look like this. The Organ Mountains are perhaps the most scenic mountains in New Mexico, and are also one of the most geologically and ecologically interesting areas in the desert southwest. I plan to post a brief discussion on the geologic evolution of this fascinating area.
The following is a list of publications I've coauthored on the geology of the Organ Mts.
• Verplanck, P.L., Farmer, G.L., McCurry, M., and Mertzman, S.A., 1999, The chemical and isotopic differentiation of an epizonal magma body; Organ Needle Pluton, New Mexico, Journal of Petrology. 40, pages 653-678.
• Verplanck, P.L., Farmer, G.L., McCurry, M., Mertzman, S.A., and Snee, L.W., 1995, Isotopic evidence on the origin of compositional layering in an epizonal magma body, Earth and Planetary Science Letters. 136 (1-2), pages 31-41.
• Seager, W.R. and M. McCurry, 1988, The cogenetic Organ Cauldron and Batholith, south central New Mexico; evolution of a large-volume ash flow cauldron and its source magma chamber: In: Special section on How volcanoes work; Part 2. Tilling-Robert-I (editor): Journal of Geophysical Research, B, Solid Earth and Planets. 93; 5, Pages 4421-4433.
Abstracts, Extended Abstracts and Field Trip Guides:
• Verplanck-Phillip-L; Farmer-G-Lang; McCurry-Michael, 1996, Geochemical
study of inclusions in a compositionally zoned, epizonal pluton; constraints
on extent of wall-rock assimilation. In: Geological Society of America, 28th
annual meeting. Abstracts with Programs - Geological Society of America. 28;
7, Pages 480. 1996.
• Verplanck-P-L; Farmer-G-L; McCurry-M, 1995, Chemical and Nd isotopic
composition of accessory phases from the Organ Needle Pluton, New Mexico; insight
into the generation of an epizonal, silicic magma body. In: AGU 1995 fall meeting.
Eos, Transactions, American Geophysical Union. 76; 46, Suppl., Pages 665. 1995.
• Verplanck-Philip-L; Farmer-G-Lang; McCurry-Michael, 1994, Generation
of a Sr pseudo-isochron in a silicic plutonic cap-rock. In: Geological Society
of America, 1994 annual meeting. Abstracts with Programs - Geological Society
of America. 26; 7, Pages 476.
• McCurry-M; Durfee-E; Farmer-G-L; Verplanck-P-L; Mertzman-S-A; Cole-D,
1993, Petrology of the Organ Needle Pluton; implications for open system evolution
of large volume compositionally zoned magma bodies. In: AGU 1993 spring meeting.
Eos, Transactions, American Geophysical Union. 74; 16, Suppl., Pages 334.
• Verplanck-P-L; Farmer-G-L; McCurry-M, 1993, Detailed chemical and isotopic
studies of a magma-wall-rock boundary zone, Organ Needle Pluton, southeastern
New Mexico.In: AGU 1993 spring meeting. Eos, Transactions, American Geophysical
Union. 74; 16, Suppl., Pages 334.
• Fontenot-Durfee-E-G; McCurry-M; Farmer-G-L; Verplanck-P-L; Mertzman-S-A,
1993, Evolution and genesis of late intrusive phases of the Organ Mountains
Batholith, south-central New Mexico. In: AGU 1993 spring meeting. Eos, Transactions,
American Geophysical Union. 74; 16, Suppl., Pages 334.
• Yanicak-S-M; Seager-W-R; Giordano-T-H; McCurry-M, 1992, Petrology of
silicic and syenitic facies of the Organ Needle Pluton, Organ Mountains Batholith,
Dona Ana County, southern New Mexico.: In: New Mexico Geological Society annual
spring meeting. New Mexico Geology. 14; 3, Pages 63-64. 1992.
• Butcher-D-P; McCurry-M; Farmer-G-L, 1989, Evolution of the early Oligocene
Organ Cauldron, south central New Mexico. In: Continental magmatism; abstracts.
Bulletin - New Mexico Bureau of Mines and Mineral Resources. Pages 35. 1989.
• Pallister-J-S; Sawyer-D-A; Lipman-P-W; du-Bray-E-A; Bryan-C-R; Walker-R-J;
Richter-D-H; Kempton-P-D;
Dungan-M-A; Padovani-E-R; Reid-M-R; Bahar-D; McCurry-M. 1989, Excursion 7A;
From silicic calderas to mantle nodules; Cretaceous to Quaternary volcanism,
southern Basin and Range Province, Arizona and New Mexico. In: Field excursions
to volcanic terranes in the Western United States; Volume I, Southern Rocky
Mountain region. Chapin-Charles-E (editor); Zidek-Jiri (editor). Memoir - New
Mexico, Bureau of Mines and Mineral Resources. 46; 1, Pages 121-185.
